Spanish Dancer - The Cigarette 1904

Robert Henri painted this image of a Spanish dancer with a cigarette, and right away I notice how the red of her shawl really pops against the dark background. It's like Henri is using color to carve out her presence in the shadows. Looking closely, you can see how Henri works with these broad, confident strokes. It's not about tiny details, but more about capturing the overall feel of the light on her face and the texture of her clothing. There’s a beautiful looseness to it all, especially in the way the red of her dress bleeds into the darker areas. And check out the cigarette she’s holding – it’s almost an afterthought, but it adds so much to her character, don’t you think? Henri reminds me a little of Manet, in the way he captures a fleeting moment with such bold simplicity. Art is just this ongoing conversation, each artist riffing off the last, and it's never about having the one right answer, but about finding different ways to see.